The subject matter described herein relates generally to electrical bridges for electrically interconnecting two electronic modules in the same or different racks.
Electronics racks are standardized enclosures that are used to hold a plurality of electronic modules, for example, servers, routers, processors, computers, databases, electrical power supplies, telecommunication equipment, control and/or automation equipment, audio and/or video equipment, and/or the like. Examples of standardized electronics racks include 19-inch racks (e.g., to accommodate electronic modules having front panels that are approximately 19 inches (482.6 mm) wide), 23-inch racks, 24-inch racks, and Open racks. An electronics rack includes a frame that is divided into a plurality of regions, which are typically arranged in a vertical column. The electronic modules are held by the frame within the regions. Each region has a standardized height of approximately 1.75 inches (44.5 mm) and is commonly referred to as a unit (U) or rack unit (RU) of the electronics rack.
The electronic modules of an electronics rack are sometimes electrically connected to another electronics module that is held within the same or a different electronics rack. For example, it may be desirable to transmit electrical signals and/or electrical power between two electronics modules of the same electronics rack or of different electronics racks. Currently, it is known to provide an electrical connection between two electronics modules of the same or different electronics racks using an electrical cable. But, electrical cables may be difficult to install between the two electronic modules, for example when there is a limited amount of space adjacent the electronics rack(s). For example, the length of the electrical cable may snag and/or wrap around nearby structures (e.g., of the electronics rack(s), of the electronic modules held by the rack(s), etc.), which may interfere with the ability of a technician to neatly and/or efficiently route the electrical cable between the electronics modules. Moreover, the electrical cable may need to be cut to the desired length, which adds one or more installation steps that the technician must complete to install the electrical cable.
Another disadvantage of using an electrical cable to provide an electrical connection between two electronics modules of the same or different electronics racks is clutter. For example, the length of an electrical cable may create clutter at a rear of the electronics rack(s) where the various ports, electrical connectors, and electrical contacts of the electronic modules are located. The clutter created by an electrical cable may interfere with a technician's ability to access the electronic modules for service, maintenance, and/or installation of other components (e.g., other electronic modules, etc.) Moreover, the electrical cable may snag on the technician and/or on equipment carried by the technician, which may damage the electrical cable, may damage one or more of the electronic modules, and/or may injure the technician. The clutter created by an electrical cable may be especially problematic when multiple electrical cables are near an electronics rack. For example, the rear of an electronics rack may become completely inaccessible when a relatively large number of electrical cables are routed therethrough.